August 13, 2013

Beatlenium

Ticket to ride

Every 18 months for the past 10 years, our
friend’s parents have hosted a daylong tribute to the Beatles. The festivities
start at 1 p.m. and last for 10 hours—the time it takes to play every single
album in their catalog, in order.

When you walk in the door, you are asked to do
two things: 1) sign up for your favorite song so that when it comes on, you can
wear a sombrero and dance in front of everyone; and, 2) get your picture taken
so that it can be miniaturized and pasted on to a poster board replica of the
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover.

Beatles t-shirts are encouraged, “All You Need is
Love” mason jars full of beer are plentiful, and the sounds of neon pink
tambourines float through the summer air. The night is otherworldly, and
concludes with everyone in a circle around a fire singing the last refrains of the
Abbey Road medley together in unison. Even lukewarm Beatles fans born in the
80s (like me) leave the party feeling as though they were just transported back
into the 60s.